San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-12-03
" al Srie,
on,
HALF A TR j TIL.
BY "THE DUCHESS. 3.

Poor young Charters felt completely
"sat upon" There was nothing to protest
against--nO room for heroics. He and Va
| lerie might 90 on just as they always had
done; it didn't matter; they were only
playing at" being lovers, as they used to
play at being cavaliers, and fence with
hedge-stakes.
The young man was so mortified that he
felt more than half inclined to walk OIL
without his dinner, but the thought Of
Valerie restrained him; besides, such
proceeding would point Uncle Wills taunt,
that he was little more than schOOl-bOy.
SO in few minutes he followed Nalerie's
caustiC guardian to the house, and entered
the dining-rOom by the door just rs Valerie
came in through the window
Uncle Will was already seated at the
table, so the girl could only glance in her
lovers face, and what she read there puz-
zled her.
Louis had evidently spoken to Mr.. Her
bert. What answer had he obtained?
Not downright refusal, or he would not be
here.
She looked covertly at her uncle, but his
features were unrevealing. SO Valerie
was obliged to postpone her curiosity until
after dinner.
Uncle Will was not a man of many
words, at the best of times, and at meals
he was more than usually silent, there was
nothing, therefore, in his taciturnity to.
day to indicate the state of his mind about
the subject so mOmentous to the young
people.
That he had, perhaps, dismissed it as not
worth thinking about, did not occur to
either of them.
Louis did not seem very lively, and Va
lerie, whose vivacity was not easily crush
ed, took up the parable.
"There'l be grand doings at Downing.
ton, Louis, y she said.
"Will there?" he asked, rousing himself.
"Why?"
Didn't you know" cried the gill, Op-
ening her great. liquid, gray eyes wide,
'that the til and three companions of the
-th regiment are quartered there? The
-th is crack regiment, you know, and
there will be balls, and fun generally for
certain
Valerie soldiers daughter, took keen
interest in military matters, and was quite
an authority on all things pertaining to the
army.
bennington, a small county town few
miles from the hamlet of Wexford, had re-
Gently been erected into military centre;
and Valerie knew, before anybody else in
Wexford what regiments, or parts of regi-
ments, had been quartered in the town.
81 didn't know it," was Louis reply to
the girl; land as for the fun-we shan't be
in it, SO it doesn't affect us one way or the
other"
81 wish we could be-" observed Valerie,
ruefully. 81 Sh0WId love to go to a ball
and military ball, too! 1t would he so
brilliant-such feast of color"
Her cheek flushed, her eyes glOwed.
Louis bit his lip as he looked at the love-
ly face opposite to him. He had no desire
to see her the centre of an admiring throng
of dashng military men,
precious puppies, those officers gener-
ally are!" he said, drily, forgetting Major
Herbert for the moment.
Valerie flushed high.
Are they she exclaimed, holly. "They
are rs good as other men, and much better
than some. The Duke of Wellington pre-
ferred the puppies as you call them; and
in the Crmea-'
Hold hardn' interrupted Louis, laugh
ing, but somewhat dismayed, too, by this
Outburst, don't give me such fusiliade
I meant no HARM really fOrgOt-lmust
be careful what | say about soldiers, |
know"
yes, you must" said Valerie, Modified,
but still little resentful.
What is the natter" asked uncle Will,
for the first time perceiving that something
was going on.
Nothing said Valerie, generously.
1--WE were only talking about the garrison
at bennington.
Has the garrison arrived"
"Yes; the day before yesterday. And l
wish we knew someone at bennington.
want to go to dance"
Very natural at your age said uncle
Will, looking at the animated face with
growing impression that Valerie lrdS sin
guIarly beautiful, but you are too young
for such things yet"
Amy LinwOOd went to her first ball
when she was seventeen"
Amy LinwOOd was brought up in Lon
don" said Mr.. Herbert, oracularly, but il
logically; then he added, hastily:
Besides, my dear, you would have to go
to bennington in a carriage, and we could
not afford that"
Nor said Valerie, half signing, land
we don't know anybody
So the matter was settled; but none the
less did Valerie long to go to ball-espec-
tally military ball!